Botanical classification/cultivar designation: Dahlia hybrida cultivar Karna Yin Yang.
The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Dahlia plant, botanically known as Dahlia hybrida and hereinafter referred to by the name xe2x80x98Karma Yin Yangxe2x80x99.
The new Dahlia is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Lisse, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program is to create new cut flower Dahlia cultivars with straight strong flowering stems, decorative inflorescence form, attractive ray floret colors, and good inflorescence longevity.
The new Dahlia originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in summer of 1997 of the Dahlia hybrida cultivar Wakamurasaki, not patented, as the female or seed parent with the Dahlia hybrida cultivar Karma Fuchsiana, not patented, as the male or pollen parent. The new Dahlia was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination grown in a controlled environment in Lisse, The Netherlands, in the August, 1998. The selection of this plant was based on its strong straight stems and attractive ray floret coloration.
Asexual reproduction of the new Dahlia by cuttings was first conducted in a controlled environment in Lisse, The Netherlands in February, 1999. Asexual reproduction by cuttings has shown that the unique features of this new Dahlia are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.
The cultivar Karma Yin Yang has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of xe2x80x98Karma Yin Yangxe2x80x99. These characteristics in combination distinguish xe2x80x98Karma Yin Yangxe2x80x99 as a new and distinct Dahlia cultivar:
1. Straight and strong flowering stems.
2. Freely basal branching growth habit.
3. Decorative-type inflorescence form.
4. Red purple-colored ray florets with white apices.
5. Excellent garden performance.
6. Excellent inflorescence longevity.
Plants of the new Dahlia can be compared to plants of the female parent, the cultivar Wakamurasaki. However, in side-by-side comparisons conducted in Lisse, The Netherlands, plants of the new Dahlia differed from plants of the cultivar Wakamurasaki in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the new Dahlia were taller than plants of the cultivar Wakamurasaki.
2. Plants of the new Dahlia had darker colored leaves than plants of the cultivar Wakamurasaki.
3. Plants of the new Dahlia had larger inflorescences than plants of the cultivar Wakamurasaki.
4. Ray florets of plants of the new Dahlia were red purple and white bi-colored whereas ray florets of plants of the cultivar Wakamurasaki were red and white bi-colored.
Plants of the new Dahlia can be compared to plants of the male parent, the cultivar Karma Fuchsiana. However, in side-by-side comparisons conducted in Lisse, The Netherlands, plants of the new Dahlia differed from plants of the cultivar Karma Fuchsiana in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the new Dahlia were taller than plants of the cultivar Karma Fuchsiana.
2. Plants of the new Dahlia had darker colored leaves than plants of the cultivar Karma Fuchsiana.
3. Ray florets of plants of the new Dahlia were red purple and white bi-colored whereas ray florets of plants of the cultivar Karma Fuchsiana were red purple in color.
Plants of the new Dahlia are similar in ray floret coloration to plants of the cultivar Mystery Day, not patented. However, in side-by-side comparisons conducted in Lisse, The Netherlands, plants of the new Dahlia differed from plants of the cultivar Mystery Day in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the new Dahlia were taller than plants of the cultivar Mystery Day.
2. Plants of the new Dahlia were more freely branching than plants of the cultivar Mystery Day.
3. Plants of the new Dahlia were more freely flowering than plants of the cultivar Mystery Day.
4. Plants of the new Dahlia had smaller inflorescences than plants of the cultivar Mystery Day.